


Baby, Baby, Merry Christmas

by Signsofsam



Series: I Hate Accidents (Except When We Went From Friends To This) [26]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: ALL THE FLUFF, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas fic, Domestic, Established Relationship, First Christmas, Fluff, Schmoop, Slice of Life, but I wanted fluffy Christmas fic and I gave myself fluffy Christmas fic, there may be the barest hint of angst in here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:22:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28034601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Signsofsam/pseuds/Signsofsam
Summary: In which this might be the Best Christmas Ever for Eddie Diaz, three times over.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Series: I Hate Accidents (Except When We Went From Friends To This) [26]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1584202
Comments: 44
Kudos: 194





	1. Buck

**Author's Note:**

> So, the summary is a little different than normal, but it really is the best summary for this fic. 
> 
> Title is from _Christmas Tree Farm_ by Taylor Swift (and OMG, can I gush over _evermore_ , please? It is perfection).

The alarm goes off at four-thirty.

“Morning, babe,” Buck whispers into the darkness of their bedroom, pressing a kiss into Eddie’s neck as he groans. “You’re the one that wanted to wake up before Chris.”

“Why did I think this was a good idea last night?” he moans, but he’s awake, at least awake enough to twist and pin Buck into the mattress. Buck waggles his eyebrows, and Eddie’s laugh fills the room as he leans down to kiss his fiancé, once, twice, and then Buck’s winding his arms around Eddie’s neck and his hands are combing through Eddie’s hair and he's _g_ _one_. 

His hand is heading under the waistband of Buck’s pants when Buck pushes him away with a singsong-y “don’t start anything you can’t finish right now, Mr. Diaz,” and Eddie groans again, resting his forehead on the warm skin of Buck’s chest. “Also, your parents are just down the hall and really, we’re not exactly the quietest people.”

“ _Evan_ ,” Eddie squeaks out, eyes wide, and Buck laughs as he climbs out of their bed. “You can’t just say that. I now have to scrub the thought of my parents hearing us out of my brain!”

“And with that, I’m going to go start the coffee,” Buck answers, grinning as he moves out of the way of the pillow Eddie throws at him. “I’ll make some eggs and pancakes, too. Come out when you’re ready.”

He drags himself out of bed within five minutes, mostly because they’ll be lucky if Chris isn’t up by five, given his past experiences of Chris and Christmas, and manages to get to the kitchen just as the coffee pot starts rumbling to life. He even manages to get a cup poured before he hears Chris’ door open, the hurried stutter of his crutches against the floor.

His smile is as bright as the tree’s lights when he sees them in the kitchen. “I was coming to wake you up!” he exclaims, and Eddie puts down his cup to go hug his son, spinning him just to hear his excited laugh as Eddie says “Merry Christmas, _mijo_!” 

(And Buck may--and by may he means he definitely is--taking video to send to Maddie and Hen and Bobby and Abuela as proof that Eddie is in fact _not_ a Christmas curmudgeon.)

“Daddy, put me down! I gotta tell Buck Merry Christmas, too!” 

“Oh, you gotta tell Buck Merry Christmas? You didn’t even tell me that!” 

Chris laughs again, smacking a kiss against his father’s cheek as he whispers “Merry Christmas, Dad,” He sinks into Eddie’s hug, squeezing him as tight as he can for a moment before Eddie sets him back on the ground, pointed towards Buck. He can hear the telltale signs of his parents waking, and he knows the house in going to be loud and lively soon, but he just wants to bottle the feelings he has of watching Buck kneel down and pull Chris into his own tight hug, his smile growing when Chris says “Merry Christmas, Bucky,” against his neck.

“Merry Christmas to you, Superman,” Buck answers, pressing a kiss into Chris’ messy bedhead. 

After a few more minutes, Eddie manages to get Chris to the bathroom and doing his morning routine, and Buck starts on the chocolate chip pancakes he promised Chris, and by the time they’re done, shuffling back to the kitchen, Eddie’s parents are sitting at the dining room table, both nursing cups of coffee, and his father is talking to Buck. 

His father is trying, and he’s making sure Eddie can see the effort he’s putting forth, and Eddie is so damn grateful, because though things are still a little tense between Eddie and them, and it’s hard for Eddie to forgive the fact that his parents historically didn’t seem to think he was capable of being a father, they’re both accepting of Eddie’s choices. They accept that this is Eddie’s life now, and Buck is Eddie’s fiancé, and he’s a fantastic father to Chris. All three of them look very tired, but they light up when Chris shouts “Merry Christmas!”

It’s a whirlwind of happiness as Chris leads his grandparents to the living room to look over the presents, and somehow in the middle there is breakfast and a cup of coffee and giving Buck soft kisses and Eddie finds himself in the kitchen at nearly nine, pouring another cup of coffee and a cup of hot chocolate when his father comes to stand beside him. “Do you need help, _mijo_?” Ramon asks, and Eddie glances over to him. 

“Sure, Dad. I was going to get Buck another cup, too,” he offers, and Ramon smiles, taking the mug Eddie hands him. “I-I just wanted to say that um...it’s been really nice, having you and Mom here for Christmas.”

There’s a laugh from the living room, and they both look up to see Chris and Buck and Helena huddled together, looking over the science experiment kit Chris had received, and Eddie must let out some soft huff of happiness at how well Buck and his mom get along, because when he looks to his father after he hears a chuckle, Ramon tells him, “I remember that look. Still give it to your mom all the time, according to her.”

“I’m so in love with him it hurts sometimes,” Eddie admits. “I want to get married tomorrow, just so I can spend the rest of my life as his husband.”

“Hold on to that feeling, son. You deserve that feeling forever. And thank you, and Buck, for welcoming your mother and I into your home. I know we haven’t always been easy to deal with, but I’m hoping in the future, it will be different.”

“Me too, Dad.”

He watches his father pour the coffee into Buck’s mug, shaking his head when Ramon gestures to the creamer and sugar. His father gives him a last look before picking up the cup, and Eddie is frozen in place as he watches his father take the drink to Buck, his fiancé’s wide, happy smile as his dad offers him the coffee. He can’t seem to move as Buck thanks his dad and his father answers back, “of course, _mijo_ ; I have to get on my son-in-law’s good side any way I can, right?” 

His dad is calling Buck _mijo_. He’s joking with Buck. He’s excited to have Buck as a part of their family.

This might be the best Christmas ever.


	2. Nate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Buck and Chris have currently vomited Christmas all over the living room and kitchen, so just prepare yourself for all the Christmas joy you’re going to encounter as soon as we get to the house.”
> 
> And really, the warning didn’t do the chaos justice.
> 
> There is garland wrapped around the dog.
> 
> There are lights strewn through the living room.
> 
> There are three gingerbread houses waiting on the bar of the kitchen island.
> 
> And there are Chris and Buck, on the couch with hot chocolate, halfway through _The Santa Clause_.

“Thanks for coming with me.” Nate glances over to Eddie, eyebrow raised. “I know driving to the airport to pick up my parents probably isn’t the way you wanted to start your first day of winter break, but it’s nice to have company.”

“Believe me, Eddie, given the choice between this and the monstrosity that Chris and Buck were starting, I choose getting your parents from LAX,” Nate answers, taking a sip of the coffee they stopped for on their way. 

“A little too much Christmas for you?” Eddie asks, voice careful and even, because this is Nate’s first Christmas with them, and the ink on his adoption papers is still basically drying, and they didn’t really get much out of him about his holidays before when he and Buck broached the subject weeks ago ( _"_ _I’m fine with whatever”_ and a shrug before he went back to his homework). He’s still trying to make sure Nate is okay with the Christmas explosion that happens with Buck and Chris every year.

“No, it’s fine; it’s...it’s good.” Nate smiles, the soft smile when he really means what he’s saying. “When I was little, before my dad...before the accident, he and my mom loved Christmas. We didn’t have a lot of presents or anything, but the house was always so festive. And then he died, and the first year I think we were both too sad. And then Mom worked a lot and we were scraping by, but she tried, you know?, but then the drugs were her everything and it was mostly trying to make sure she didn’t suffocate in her own vomit. And they tried at the foster home, but by then Christmas is just any other day.”

“Not with us,” Eddie murmurs, reaching out to squeeze Nate’s forearm, and his son nods, looking up at him. “And if it is ever too much, you let us know, okay? Chris and Buck would be fine toning it down if it’s for you.”

“Nah, I like the festive. And I’m sorry if I’m making you guys feel like I don’t. It’s different, but in a good way, and it’s just going to take more than one Christmas to get used to it.” 

“Well, we’ll have plenty of them, _mijo_ , so you just take your time.” Eddie shelves the heavy talk after that, and the drive is mostly in companionable silence, until they are at the airport, and he can feel Nate’s nervousness rolling off him in waves. He frowns, nudging the teenager with his shoulder. “You okay?”

“They like me, right? Like...I’m not going to be putting a damper on your normal Christmas because they didn’t really want you to adopt me or something?”

And oh, that hurts Eddie’s heart, to think Nate’s worried about somehow ruining their _normal_ Christmas. “Nathan-”

“No, don’t do that. Logically, I know, I know I’m not, and I know what you’re going to say, but it’s just at the back of my mind, because it’s our first Christmas all together, you know? And if there’s one thing I’m fantastic at, it’s letting my worst fears get to me in regards to you guys because sometimes I wake up and have to pinch myself to make sure it’s all still real.” 

“They’re coming early.”

“What?”

“Usually, they fly in on the 23rd, and stay with us through Christmas and then with Abuela for a few more days. They’re coming in on the 19th, and they’re staying with us through the 28th. And it’s because they were going to surprise you on your adoption day, but then the date got moved up and Dad couldn’t get the days off he needed, so they’re coming early to spend more time with you. So I think it’s safe to say you’re not going to put a damper on anything, _mijo_.”

“Even if I’m not the bubbly happiness that Buck and Chris exude?”

“Especially then. We have to have some mood to balance out their exuberance.” 

That puts a smile on Nate’s face, and he seems more at ease, so Eddie counts it as a win, turning back to try to find his parents through the crowd of people coming out of arrivals. He spots them before they see him, and he smiles when his mom waves her hand, eyes widening when she sees Nate beside him. 

She hugs him first, and Eddie’s heart warms as he sees Nate tense, but then relax, wrapping his arms around Helena. “You’re going to be taller than Eddie soon,” she murmurs, and Eddie hears the bubble of laughter from his son. “He didn’t tell us you were coming with him to get us! It’s such a nice surprise.” 

“Buck and Chris have currently vomited Christmas all over the living room and kitchen; Nate needed a break just as much as I did,” Eddie offers as his mom hugs him, grinning at his dad when the older man ignores Nate’s proffered hand in favor of his own hug. “So just prepare yourself for all the Christmas joy you’re going to encounter as soon as we get to the house.”

And really, the warning didn’t do the chaos justice.

There is garland wrapped around the dog.

There are lights strewn through the living room.

There are _three_ gingerbread houses waiting on the bar of the kitchen island.

And there are Chris and Buck, on the couch with hot chocolate, halfway through _The Santa Clause_.

It’s a lot, but it’s _nice_ , Eddie thinks as Nate takes the spot on Buck’s other side and Buck dutifully hands over his still-full cup of hot chocolate. He shows his parents the guest room, and he hopes (prays) that everything continues to be nice, because it’s Nate’s first Christmas and he wants it to be everything his kid hasn’t had for the past few years.

He should have known wishing for everything to run smoothly inevitably meant something would fuck up at the last minute. 

“Nate’s gonna kill me,” he whispers, and Buck frowns, reaching forward to squeeze his good hand. “No...don’t do that. I’m...I’m going to ruin his first Christmas with us.”

Buck rolls his eyes. “You aren’t ruining anything, babe. Ruining Christmas for him would be you not coming home; we’re going to be out of here in an hour, two tops. Your parents know, and they’ll tell the boys we’re just running a bit late. Everything is good.”

“Except my shoulder.”

“Well yeah, dislocating it will make it hurt,” Buck answers with a laugh, leaning forward to kiss the side of Eddie’s head. “But you saved a little girl tonight; she’ll get to have Christmas, too, this year, next year, for so many years to come, and that’s thanks to you. So yeah, you hurt your shoulder, and you feel crummy for your own kids right now, but the reason we’re going to be late is incredibly selfless.” Eddie rests his head against Buck’s chest, tired, melting as Buck runs his fingers through Eddie’s grimy hair, shivering when the fingers trailed down his neck, steering clear of Eddie’s hurt shoulder. 

It’s nine when they finally walk into the house, Eddie’s shoulder in a sling for the next week or so, a script for a pain killer and a reminder to follow up with an orthopedist in a few days in the bag Buck’s toting. Eddie’s fully prepared to come in to wrapping paper all over their living room, the boy’s presents out in the open and having to pretend it’s fine, he’s fine (he won’t be fine, because he loves watching the joy light up on his kids’ faces when they get something, but he will do his damnedest to make sure he looks fine), and he honestly has to keep the shock off his face when he sees all the gifts still under the tree. 

“You’re home!” Chris cries, and it’s the clatter of his crutches as he hurries from the kitchen to crash into Eddie. “Merry Christmas, Dad!”

“Merry Christmas, Christopher!” Eddie replies, squeezing Chris tight. “You guys waited for us.”

“Of course we did, Eddie.” Nate gives him a hug around Chris, soft and careful of Eddie’s shoulder. “We can’t have Christmas without our dads.”

And they do have Christmas, after Eddie and Buck get a chance to shower. Eddie’s mom makes them all breakfast, and his dad helps Chris hand out presents. The look on Nate’s face when he opens the gift from Eddie’s parents and it’s a picture of their small family that Eddie’s father had drawn and his mother had painted is one Eddie wants to bottle and keep with him for all the bad days and bad shifts to come. Chris’ happiness is infectious, and the joy that’s spread through their house helps numb the pain of his shoulder.

And sitting on the couch, curled into Buck, watching his parents and his children, he thinks that this...this _has_ to be the best Christmas ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you're all doing well! Chapter 3 will be up on 12/22. Thank you in advance for all the comments and kudos!


	3. Josie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s Christmas Day, and Eddie’s maybe gotten four hours of sleep when he wakes.
> 
> The thing about getting Christmas Day off is inevitably one has to work Christmas Eve, and if there is one thing that is guaranteed on Christmas Eve, it’s that your shift is going to be full. Serious calls, stupid calls, everything in between, and constant. There’d no time to grab more than a power nap, and they’d pretty much lived off of protein bars, but finally, finally, he and Buck made it back to the house about three in the morning, with just enough energy to shower before stumbling into their bed. 
> 
> He wakes to a crash coming from the kitchen, jolting him out of bed as Buck pushes himself up, blinking owlishly. “Whas’ppenin?” he mumbles, and it’s just...God, Eddie loves this man. He leans in, pressing a kiss against his forehead. “‘M gettin’ up-”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, you're getting this chapter a day early. Merry Christmas! 
> 
> And so we conclude my first multi-chapter fic in this 'verse.

It’s Christmas Day, and Eddie’s maybe gotten four hours of sleep when he wakes.

The thing about getting Christmas Day off is inevitably one has to work Christmas Eve, and if there is one thing that is guaranteed on Christmas Eve, it’s that your shift is going to be full. Serious calls, stupid calls, everything in between, and _constant_. There’d no time to grab more than a power nap, and they’d pretty much lived off of protein bars, but finally, _finally_ , he and Buck made it back to the house about three in the morning, with just enough energy to shower before stumbling into their bed. 

He wakes to a crash coming from the kitchen, jolting him out of bed as Buck pushes himself up, blinking owlishly. “Whas’ppenin?” he mumbles, and it’s just...God, Eddie loves this man. He leans in, pressing a kiss against his forehead. “‘M gettin’ up-”

“It’s just the kids, babe. I’m just going to check on them; you stay in bed a little longer,” Eddie answers, trying to rub the grit out of his eyes. He manages to drag himself out of their nice, warm bed without disturbing his husband any further, stopping at the bathroom before he makes it out to the living room. It’s still early enough, just past seven when he looks at his phone before checking his notifications. There’s a text from his parents, saying they’ll be over close to eight, with Abuela in tow, but nothing else important, and later, he will be so glad that was the extent of his scrolling, because it means he gets to witness the entirety of what is to follow, and that there will be a video to show Buck when he finally makes his way into the kitchen twenty minutes later.

The kids are in the kitchen, and Eddie can hear the thump of Scarlet’s tail from behind the island. Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” is blasting through Nate’s phone. Josie is sitting on the island in her reindeer pajamas, her hair in a haphazard ponytail that has to be Nate’s handiwork, and she’s laughing because Chris and Nate are lip-synching, using a spatula and a spoon as microphones to serenade her. Eddie has to keep himself from laughing as he watches the boys dance around the kitchen to the song in Santa (Chris) and penguin (Nate) pajama pants. Chris starts some 40’s doo-wap snap move during the middle that Nate then copies. Somehow, they both go all-out boy-band member, complete with a point and wink at Josie when they get to the final “Make my wish come true/baby all I want for Christmas is you.”

Josie’s claps and giggles fill the kitchen as the song changes over, and Eddie can’t help but let out his own whistle, making all the kids jump and look at him in the living room. “You two could give *NSYNC a run for their money.”

The questioning look Chris gives him makes Eddie feel so _old_ , but he takes a photo of it because Buck’s still asleep and he needs to document all the gloriousness that his husband is missing this morning. He takes one of Nate mimicking the “Bye, Bye, Bye” dance because at least one of his sons has some taste in music. And a photo of Josie, sitting on the countertop, big smile on her face, hands reaching out for him. He hugs her tight, pressing a kiss into her hair. “Merry Christmas, baby.”

“Did you...you were safe? Last night?”

She asks every time they come back from a shift, a quiet _‘you were safe?’_ usually as she hugs them tight. It makes his heart clench each and every time, and he does his best to make sure he can give her an honest ‘yes’ back. “Yeah, sweetheart, we were safe. Just a lot of calls; we’re both tired.” She nods, leaning in to kiss his cheek. 

“Merry Christmas, Eddie,” she whispers, squeezing him tight. “Thank you for being safe.”

“You never have to thank me for that. Now, what did Santa bring you?”

It’s been awhile since the concept of “Santa” bringing any of their presents Christmas Day made an appearance in the Buckley-Diaz house, but Josie had asked multiple times if Santa would actually visit her here and _all_ of her boys (because they were definitely _hers_ , already wrapped around her finger) wanted to make sure her first Christmas with them was everything she dreamed of, including a visit from Santa Claus. And really, it’s worth the pain of making it seem like Santa came by for the wide-eye look of shock on her face, how she turns to look at the dark living room. “Nate said we had to wait.”

“Well, maybe you should just go take a sneak peek before Buck gets up, hmm?” With that permission, she runs off, and Eddie turns to give Chris a hug, his son waiting so very patiently (but eagerly) for his turn. “Merry Christmas, _mijo_.” 

“Merry Christmas, Dad!” Chris’ joy is always infectious, but it works in overdrive during Christmas; it really is his favorite time of year. He’s fifteen now, and his love of Christmas, his belief in the magic of Christmas is still as bountiful as it was when he was child. “Don’t worry; Nate and I got all the presents out after she went to bed last night.”

“That’s because you two are not only awesome sons, but amazing big brothers.” And really, they are. Eddie’s always worried about if Chris felt like he was being pushed to the wayside, first with losing his only child status with Nate, then his younger child status with Josie, but Chris always seems to adjust and adapt, and he has never said anything about regretting saying yes when Buck and Eddie asked him about maybe adopting another child. And Nate...Nate likes family; he likes having people to rely on, people he knows will always be in his corner.

Basically, Eddie’s boys are incredible.

They’re the best.

They’re especially the best when Nate is putting a mug full of steaming coffee in front of him on the island, “You look like death, just as an fyi,” he offers with a cheeky smirk that turns into a grin when Chris bursts out laughing. 

“And a very Merry Christmas to you, too,” Eddie bites out, but he takes a sip of the coffee. Chris drifts into the living room with Scarlet by his side, leaving Nate and Eddie in the kitchen. “Thank you for looking out for them this morning, _mijo_. You don’t know how much it means.”

Nate shrugs, because praise is _hard_ for him, even now, years later. “I tried my best to keep them quiet, but it’s Josie’s first Christmas with us and she was excited. I was going to make them some pancakes and eggs, if you want some?”

“Your grandparents and Abuela are going to be here in less than an hour, if you want to wait. I’m sure they’re bringing half a grocery store with them.” Nate grins, taking a sip of his own coffee, and Eddie can’t help put reach over to squeeze his shoulder. “You’re much more festive this year, Nathan. Finally getting used to it?”

“I mean, yeah, it’s...it’s more normal this year. I think my first year here I was just...I was trying to survive, you know? And then last year, I was adapting, but this year...we have Josie, and she’s so young and I just want to make her Christmas with us the best possible one she can have, because she deserves it. And I guess that makes me get into it more.” He glances over to Eddie, who nods in understanding. “But I really do love Christmases here, with my family. With my dads, and my brother and sister and my grandparents and Abuela....I love our Christmas.”

“And we love you,” Eddie reassures him. Their moment’s broken by Josie calling for Nate, and he heads off to see what she has to show him, leaving Eddie in the kitchen by himself. He pours a second cup of coffee just as Buck stumbles out into the kitchen, and Eddie, the ever dutiful husband, hands it over, going to grab another mug. “Merry Christmas, _mi amor_.”

Buck mumbles something unintelligible, leaning in to kiss Eddie. “Ugh. The kids are expecting festive holiday Buck and I can barely keep my eyes open.” He sighs as he takes a sip of his coffee, resting his head on Eddie’s shoulder, watching the kids as Josie makes herself at home in Nate’s lap, showing both her brothers a book “Santa” brought her. “You know, when I was younger, and even when we were just friends, I never thought this would be how my life would go, but I’m so, so glad it’s where I ended up.” He presses a kiss into Eddie’s hairline, straightening when Josie calls for them, holding out one hand, securing his coffee mug with the other. “Fatherly duty calls.”

There’s no hesitation as he takes Buck’s hand.

“And Eddie? Merry Christmas, love.”

And maybe it’s the _love_ that does it. Maybe it’s waking up to his kids singing “All I Want for Christmas is You.” Maybe it’s just the general joy of being with his family for Christmas, of knowing that he’ll be able to spend the day with the most important people in his life. 

Whatever it is, sitting on the couch, Buck’s arm around his shoulders, Scarlet’s head in his lap, watching his kids open their gifts and talk excitedly over one another, it’s here Eddie decides this truly is the best Christmas ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed, and yes, I am a sucker for Mariah's "All I Want for Christmas is You." It is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, Christmas songs of all time, and no, I will not be taking questions on this obviously right opinion. Thank you so much for the comments and kudos! I know I haven't responded, but they mean the world to me. I hope everyone has a very safe and very, very Merry Christmas (if you celebrate it; if not, I hope you have a very safe and very merry December 25th!)
> 
> I'm taking a bit of a break from the 'verse; I feel burnt out on my writing. I don't know when I'll be back, but I promise I'm not abandoning this verse. I have so much more I want to do. For updates, you can find me [here](https://signsofsam.tumblr.com/) on tumblr.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me [here](https://signsofsam.tumblr.com/) on tumblr.
> 
> Thank you in advance for all the Kudos and Comments!
> 
> Chapter Two will be up on the 16th or 17th, and Chapter Three will be up on the 22nd. And y'all, I hope you all have the very best holiday season, and Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate! I know this year is different, and it's hard; this is the first year I will be completely alone for Christmas, and telling my mom I wasn't coming home was one of the saddest things I've had to do. So, you aren't alone even if you are alone this holiday season; there are a lot of us out there, and it will get better.
> 
> Hope you stick around for chapter two!


End file.
